Requirements and training to become a police officer

¶ … Police Officer

Houston Police Department (Houston City)

A police officer holds the responsibility of maintaining peace and enforcing laws in the community he/she is assigned to. Apart from the basic qualification of graduation from high school, police officers are trained at police academies. There are some who even go in for criminal justice or law enforcement degrees, which aid with career advancement. Recruits into the police force are also administered a succession of examinations determined by the academy they are enrolled in, such as psychiatric review and physical fitness exam. (Study.com)

There are a few primary requirements to be met for being eligible for the police force. Every police department mandates a minimum educational qualification -- a high school completion certificate. Some police divisions pick recruits fresh from high school, but a majority of them have a minimum age requirement of 21 years. Therefore, individuals hired immediately after completing high school need to train and work till the age of 21 years, for receiving officer status. The other basic requirements for eligibility for the police force include citizenship of the country in question, a clean record, and a valid driving license. (Study.com)

Completion of undergraduate education, such as a criminal justice or law enforcement degree, is also considered an added benefit for aspiring police officers, and can facilitate their securing of a job with the police force. Though not mandated by many police departments, formal education may prove advantageous for applicants competing for officer posts. Federal as well as state law enforcement organizations typically expect college education from their recruits. Furthermore, degree-holders might enjoy swifter career advancement than individuals without any relevant degree. A few departments even sponsor tuition of officers seeking degrees in relevant areas. (Study.com)

Enrolment at one of the many Police Academies; a majority of police officers join some or other police academy in order to receive formal training. Large departments have their very own training academies where they send their recruits. These academies also accept new hires of smaller departments. Academy programs are usually between three and four months in duration, and include classroom training as well as practical, physical training. The subjects commonly taught in academy classrooms include: Civil rights, Incident reporting, Local and state laws, Criminal Psychology, Crime investigation, and Constitutional law.

Police academies provide future law enforcement officers with active-duty training. A recruit enrolled in an academy will also acquire supervised experience when it comes to dealing with real-life scenarios. Police academies coach students in common requirements like: Patrol, Subject Apprehension, Risk Assessment, Emergency/Accident Response, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), First-Aid, Self-Defence, Traffic Command, and Firearm Use (Study.com)

One of the mandatory eligibility criteria is: passing relevant examinations for gaining a post in the department. Candidates have to pass a number of tests for ensuring competence. They need to pass written examinations, often conducted by police academies. A majority of police departments also test candidates on factors like strength, speed, vision, and hearing. Some law enforcement units perform background or psychiatric interviews for evaluating any particular recruit's individual characteristics as well as general suitability for holding a law enforcement post. Lastly, a majority of candidates also have to pass lie detector and drug tests.

The candidate must

Be aged between 20.5 and 44 years (that is, candidates should reach the age of 21 before graduation from the academy; also, they should not reach the age of 45 before graduation from the academy)

Be a citizen of the United States

Never have received conviction or probation for any "Class A" Felony or Misdemeanor.

Not have received conviction or probation for any "Class B" Misdemeanor in the last ten years.

Pass a test in reading comprehension

Pass an exam in physical agility

Possess a valid driving license and furnish liability insurance proof

Have a driving record that reflects responsibility and caution.

Not have received conviction by a court-martial ranked higher than summary court-martials (this condition is only for ex-military personnel).

Possess a stable credit and employment history. Further, all collection accounts have to be resolved before applying (the department accepts letters from corporations that show payment arrangements or full payment of account). (The City of Houston, 2015)

Hardly any significant difference exists in general law enforcement requirements and Houston City's police department's requirements, aside from the criterion of stable credit and employment history required by the latter. Houston's Police Department also has an age criterion of 20.5-44 years, whereas the general minimum age requirement is 21 years. Both general law enforcement and Houston City's Police Department stress on the conditions of citizenship, university/college attendance, driving licences, and police academy attendance.

Requirements like sound communication skills, commitment, loyalty, integrity, problem-solving skills, and empathy are also important. Preventing clashes and solving crimes is about more than just finding out "who" did it; the reason behind perpetration of criminal acts is equally important. Thus, police officers have to be capable of understanding the community whose protection they are tasked with, and more essentially, identifying and examining problems causing trouble. (New Zealand Police)